Clint Dempsey scored a hat-trick as Fulham thumped Newcastle United 5-2 at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
There was little sign of what was to come when Danny Guthrie gave the Magpies a half-time lead, but the second half saw Martin Jol’s men hit five as Danny Murphy netted a penalty and Bobby Zamora also scored one. Hatem Ben Arfa scored Newcastle’s scant consolation.
Champions League-chasing Newcastle were the better side in the first half, with Yohan Cabaye trying an audacious effort from way out in the first minute. It was on target but easy for David Stockdale to smother, though he was tested more so later on when Cabaye’s cross was headed his way by Shola Ameobi.
Ex-Newcastle man Damien Duff nearly caught Tim Krul out with a curled effort in a rare Cottagers first half attack, but his side – after losing Steve Sidwell to injury - were the ones trailing at the break.
Having saved efforts from Fabricio Coloccini and Ameobi again, Stockdale could do nothing when midfielder Guthrie sent a 25-yard screamer beyond him from 25 yards.
This, however, would be a game of two halves. Bryan Ruiz joined Sidwell on the sidelines for the second half with Chris Baird following Andrew Johnson on to the field, and their side benefitted from a more straightforward approach.
They were level seven minutes after the restart when Davide Santon was penalised for a foul on Duff. The Italian was adamant that the offence had taken place outside the area, but referee Lee Mason pointed to the spot and Murphy sent Krul the wrong way for 1-1.
It then became time for American star Dempsey to take centre-stage. His team-mates had started to build up the pressure and fine interplay between Johnson and Zamora led to the latter aiming for goal. Krul kept out his effort, but Dempsey was free to bundle the loose ball over the line.
He soon had his second, with Johnson and Zamora again involved, as Zamora took Johnson’s pass and fed Dempsey who ran through to fire across goal and home. Three minutes later it was 4-1 as Johnson eased past Mike Williamson and was taken down by Krul. The Dutchman was booked and then beaten from the spot by Zamora.
A shell-shocked Newcastle thought they had made it 4-2, only for Ameobi to rightly be judged offside when his low shot found the net. Ben Arfa, however, did pull one back when he superbly glided past John Arne Riise and fired to the back of Stockdale’s net.
Dempsey was not finished yet, however, He was probably peeved not to have been given the last penalty for his hat-trick, but he found a third goal anyway when bursting forward between Coloccini and Williamson to meet a chipped Zamora pass and slot it home for his second treble of the campaign.